Instructors

Staff

Kristina Borden

Co-owner |Yoga Instructor

My name is Kristine Borden and I am the Co-Founder of Elev8 Hot Yoga. I have always had a love of fitness prior to discovering Hot Yoga, I was a runner and even had the privileged of running the Boston Marathon three times. I fell in love with the benefits of Hot Yoga immediately upon taking my first Hot Yoga class and I was literally “hooked”. The benefits of Hot Yoga and working out in a hot room allow you to get a challenging workout improving your flexibility, strength, and cardio vascular system. In addition to the great physical work out Hot Yoga offers, it also facilitate a mind body connection that rapidly transforms your life allowing you to experience new levels of freedom, true happiness, and love. The vision when we created Elev8 Hot Yoga was to create a community not only where our fitness goals could be met, but also create a community where there is unconditional love for both teachers and students. Elev8 Hot Yoga will help you achieve your physical and personal goals and there is a community and love waiting for you once you join. Can’t wait to meet you! Namasté!

Our Team

Angela Papini

Co-owner |Yoga Instructor

Angela’s interest in movement and the body began as a child, studying dance, and eventually into a world of athletics and exploration of yoga. A world traveller and destination seeker, Angela has been on the path of exploring and mastering many careers as well, including a tour in the Army, in the marketing ‘trenches’, as a yoga instructor and finally, in the creation, nurturing and finally building Elev8 Hot Yoga, which she co-owns with Kristine Borden. Angela believes that Elev8 serves as a platform for growth, love and manifesting goodness, and she follows that by bringing new and wonderful ideas to the studio through her worldly and spiritual travels.

Suny Jacobus

Yoga Instructor

I started teaching yoga because I wanted to share my experience with yoga. Even though I was already running and exercising in other ways, it challenged me in new ways, physically and spiritually. When you are in a yoga class, all you can do is concentrate in that moment, try as hard as you again, and give it your best until the next movement. I like to think my students are also trying their hardest when they step into my classroom, leaving behind their life from before and after the class hour, to find a momentary peace.

I love working at Elev8 because we are a close-knit supportive family. We are always cheering each other on, whether we are a student or a teacher. I love all the classes that I teach and that I take, but I also enjoy the time before and after class, feeding each other goodies and chatting about our personal lives.

Linda Ramos-Collie

Yoga | Pilates Instructor

I have been practicing Pilates for 12 years and yoga for 5; I am a certified personal trainer with certifications in Pilates, Yoga, Barre, TRX, RIPPED and Cycling. I’ve been teaching since 2010—I started because I wanted to overcome my fear of speaking in front of people. Then it turned into wanted to help people. Once I found yoga, it completely changed my life. In 2012 I was injured while training for the NYC Marathon. Again, yoga saved my body. I feel like with yoga I can be the best me I can be for myself and my loved ones. Vinyasa is my favorite because of the creative sequencing. I love to teach because I want to help people reach their goals—the look on someone’s face when they achieve something they never thought was possible is priceless and makes my career choice so worthwhile. My only hobby is exercise! I used to weigh 200 pounds. I know the struggles of weight loss on your body and mind. I want to share my experience with as many people as I can reach. I want people to feel strong, physically and mentally, and know that whatever the goal, it is achievable! The simple reason I teach at Elev8 — it’s a family and I love my family. Everyone who teaches and works here cares about the students and each other!

Julia Draves

Yoga Instructor

Julie began her yoga journey with a mission to heal her many sports injuries from years of competitive softball as a pitcher. Tight hamstrings and a partially frozen shoulder were a daily struggle. Trying to avoid surgery, she found the hot room. After 3 months of Hatha yoga 5-6 days a week, her shoulder issue was completely resolved, her hamstrings cooperating and the 30 pounds she lost was an additional bonus! Seeing and feeling the results herself, led her to complete two separate 200 Hour Teacher Trainings, any many specialty workshops. “Yoga has been one of the best things I have ever done and I feel privileged and honored to share it with my students.” Julie has continued the journey to health and wholeness and has lost over 60 pounds over the past five years. More importantly, she has kept the weight off and is healthier today as she approaches her 50th birthday than she was in her thirties!

Jana Schillen

Yoga Instructor

Yoga became a very healing place for me. I fell in love with it and being on my mat helped me fall in love with me. Taught me how to let go, how to be comfortable even in the discomfort, to embrace challenge. Just amongst the few, I love tacos and sushi…i love to dance, paddle board, travel, laugh and I’m passionate about helping others obtain their goals and learn to love themselves. I love teaching all yoga but my favorites are hatha, core, Aerial and Fusion. I love kickboxing, lifting and sculpt. Barre is one of my all time favs. I grew up dancing and I have been integrating ballet, yoga and Pilates into one format has been incredibly fun.

Trish Lancaster

Yoga Instructor

I started teaching in 2016 because I saw how much joy I got from just being a student, so I thought, “Why not make something I have always loved my life!?” One of the reasons I love teaching is because I get such joy encouraging others. Yoga has impacted my life in such a great way. I have always loved fitness, I start lighting weights in junior high but never had the mind-body connection to help me with my everyday workouts until I started yoga. Elev8 was the second studio I ever went to; after three months of practicing yoga I decided I wanted to become a teacher—and it was only natural that I took my training at this studio. Elev8 is my family, the men and women who teach here and practice here are such kind, uplifting people. No matter what’s going on. Elev8 always has your back!

Richelle Camat

Yoga Instructor

After practicing yoga for several years, people started pushing me to teach. I kept saying no… not for me… I can’t do that. One day I decided to just do it and I’m so glad I did because it has been an amazing journey, and I started teaching in 2015. Helping people has always been a passion of mine and now I can do it through fitness as well. High blood pressure and being overweight brought me to yoga. I didn’t want to be on pills all my life, which thanks to yoga, I don’t have to. I’m so thankful for everything yoga has brought to my life. I’ve gained flexibility, strength and many friendships. And people are always shocked when they find out I have 4 kids! I teach at Elev8 because everyone at Elev8 is like family. No one here judges and everyone is so positive and encouraging.

Maja Brickner

Yoga Instructor

I started teaching Yoga in 2011 and even though I was terrified, after working a desk job most of my life, it was time for me to get out of my comfort zone and (hopefully) give back to my community. Practicing yoga completely changed my outlook on life, my physical and mental health. I love teaching as it is a daily reminder to be grateful, humble and positive. I absolutely love working with our students and no matter what my day was like, teaching at night always makes me feel better. Traveling is one of my fav things to do outside yoga practice. My favorite destination is pretty much where ever I happen to be!! I am hoping to get to a few international destinations in the next couple years. I am grateful for the opportunity to teach at Elev8! It has been a wonderful inviting studio since before the doors were even open!! Thank you!! Namasté!

Natassah Williams

Yoga Instructor

I love teaching yoga because it is conversation between hearts; it feeds my soul and nourishes my students. Yoga has strengthened my spirituality; it grounds me, challenges me, and presses me to grow. I love to teach any subject. I enjoy creating (food, crafts, etc.). I love to learn therefore I love books. I am an introvert. I was guided to teach at Elev8; an accidental phone call led to a conversation that led to teaching; Elev8 is a reflection of a community of souls that respect and love people; it feels like home.

John Jonassen

Yoga Intructor

I started teaching as I had already received a good number of benefits from practicing for a number of years, it was time to show others the way to the benefits that await them. When you practice, you feel your Light and the teacher’s, maybe from some of the other students. The greatest thing I enjoy about teaching is that you feel the Light of all in the room. How yoga has impacted your life. After having experienced a great amount of time in consistent physical pain, it is now under control. My mental and emotional burden is much less to carry. I have learned that walls are simply temporary blockades that you can get around. I teach at Elev8 because first, foremost, and always—The Students. Elev8 is a beautiful location, but it is but a shell without the Hearts of the Students.

Tina Goodpaster

Yoga Instructor

Tina has always loved ﬁtness. After many faithful years of intensive weight training, running and sports in all forms she began to suffer from more frequent injuries and chronic low back pain. Tina began her yoga journey in September 2012 by practicing Hatha, Power & Sculpt. She fell in love with the challenge & the inner peace and was hooked! She decided to pursue teacher training & certiﬁcation, attaining her 200-hour Yoga Alliance certiﬁcation in Hatha June 2014, and immediately following, her 200-hour Vinyasa power certiﬁcation. Tina has a great passion for both teaching & practicing yoga; not only for the physical beneﬁts it affords, but the spiritual beneﬁts as well.

Nataliya Onishchenko

Yoga Instructor

Nataliya is living her dream which is a life of passion for people, helping them grow physically, spiritually, and mentally. She started her Health & Wellness business in Hawaii, where she taught fitness classes, nutrition seminars and weight loss coaching. “I love my Elev8 family—this is a place where we transform together emotionally, physically and spiritually. Teaching Barre taught me to thrive in life no matter what and want to share that life passion with everyone who comes to class.” Nataliya graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, one of the world’s largest nutrition schools. Nataliya is supporting clients to help make a step-by-step easily integrated food and lifestyle choice. Many people were encouraged and highly motivated through her numerous women’s conferences, detox seminars and exercise classes in Hawaii, not to mention traveling and expanding into California, Kansas, and now Washington State, where she resides today.

Sarah Suyong

Yoga Intructor

Yoga came into my life around 2011, but it wasn’t until early 2014, during a backpacking trip to South America that the eight-fold path of yoga started to become a constant part of my life. What started out as a way to move my body turned into a healing practice, a catalyst to shed the outermost layers of my ego and tap into my authentic self. Yoga allowed me to channel the strength I held within, and let go of the things that were holding me back from realizing my full potential. I soon realized that my purpose was to share this practice with anyone and everyone I possibly could. In 2017 I found myself back in Seattle, taking my first 200-hour yoga teacher training, and it’s been the most rewarding journey. I strive to make my classes accessible to everyone and everybody, and hold the space for others where they can create that mind-body connection and tune into their highest, most authentic self. I am so grateful for the love and support from everyone in the Elev8 community, and look forward to practicing with all of you!

Olaf Buntrock

Yoga Instructor

“Doing is honest philosophy.“~ R.L. SteinWhat draws me to teaching is the sweet service of being able to share the simple gifts I have received through the practice. I envision it as a spiritually and physically enlightening, challenging and rejuvenating time to collaborate in the richness that is the practice and the sharing of yoga. How yoga has impacted my life: It literally saved it, and I practice and teach from that place of recovery and renewal and yes, regrowth. Through the simplicity of body movement and basic tenants of kindness and clarity, my own body has transformed and healed itself in ways I never imagined—and we have so many stories here to share here at Elev8! I teach here for many of the same reasons as everyone; this is a place that embodies my belief in family and acceptance, open hearts and open minds and open possibilities. They say once you’ve elevated, that you never sink back down, and I believe that growth inspires everyone here.

Ready to Make a Change?

Come join us at Elev8 for a class by registering on our site, then let us help you find a class that’s right for you!